Birth from Darkness
by Terra ForceXIII
Summary: AU. These three were monsters to the world of man, rejected by society and became legends of horror. But they didn't need to be loved by the world, because they had each other. One created by a madman, the next being the daughter of the Count, and the last being a boy cursed to hunt for flesh. Terra/Aqua/Ventus Friendship, slight Terra x Aqua. Three-Shot Halloween Special!
1. Frankenstein

_A/N: Here is my Halloween special fic, containing three stories with the BBS trio in the place of the three greatest monsters, and there will be some TerQua because I couldn't resist. :)_

_Warning: These stories contain scenes of blood, but not too much to be considered gore. Just saying... :3_

* * *

_**Writer: Terra ForceXIII**_

_~*~ Birth from Darkness ~*~_

_Novel I: Frankenstein_

_"I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel..."_

* * *

In a small town of Germany, Ansem Frankenstein was regarded as a mad-man, a traitor to humanity, or just a senile old man. His dreams were genuine, his ambitions reached divinity, and his coming actions would forever live in infamy.

The pale blonde haired man was an individual of science, but also took part as a doctor, but his true ambitions always scratched the back of his mind as he pretended to be like everyone else. But the day eventually came when he was struck with an idea, a decease that consumed his mind and drove him into madness until his ideas were satisfied.

Life was always a mystery to human beings, and it made them question every aspect of its concept. How can something as magnificent as life be taken away so easily and can never be given back, and why couldn't it be achieved by man? These questions haunted Ansem Frankenstein in the night, and kindled the fires of his optimism. He disregarded the opinions of right and wrong, the faiths of good and evil, and sought the creation of life outside the norm of reproduction.

After paying a few pockets of gold to some questionable folk, he received the body of a boy recently deceased. The boy was a victim to a tragic accident and his lifeless form was left burnt, bruised, and barely tethered in multiple places, with only his handsome face being spared by whatever miracle. He had dark brown hair that was spiked and reached the back of his neck, blue eyes that turned pale from his lifelessness, and a form that once represented the prime of a muscular young man.

The ambitious doctor didn't bother learning the boy's name, accepting the corpse and the rest of the twisted essentials to complete his work. He performed the sinful experiment on a stormy night, with dark clouds in the sky that roared thunder behind bolts of lightning. He prepared his finest work in a large lab at the top of an isolated castle, far away from the simple minded folk that falsely proclaimed his dreams as trivial.

After spending multiple hours molding, twisting, and repairing the body until he deemed it complete, he called upon the assistance of lightning to bring life from death. The corpse laid on a cold steel table, covered in white sheet, and was in the center of the lab. Lightning finally struck the rod at the top of the tower, traveling down the wires with such ferocious power, and smite the body that sent a shockwave that destroyed everything in the lab. Ansem Frankenstein was sent back from the destruction, taking a few minutes of his time to recover before standing before the results of his ambitions.

The lab was destroyed, sparks and small flames covering most places, and the cold breeze of the storm whistled into the foreboding silence. Smoldering smoke covered the area where the corpse once rested, delaying the reveal of whether the doctor's work was a success or failure. When the smoke cleared and the doctor could see the edges of a figure resting on its knees, he choked a breath of shock and his mouth hung open in a frown.

The lifeless boy was now on his knees, the cold air revealing the hot breath that escaped his mouth, and the slight motions of his shoulders concluded that the deceased corpse was no longer a corpse. His hair that was once chocolate brown was now pale silver, his grayish skin returning to its warm tan color, and his muscles tensed with life. He wore only a pair of ragged black pants covered in holes and ripped endings, and stitches that connected certain parts of his body. But the most prominent feature of his build appearance was a reddish glow that pierced through the skin over his heart, pulsing like the small muscle that ceased to move only moments ago.

Ansem was astounded, smiling with such blissful success and his cold eyes shimmered with hope as he released a loud chuckle. He couldn't take his eyes off his creation, watching as the boy moved and breathed like every other living being.

"It's alive!" He shouted, proclaiming his work to the sky like he was taunting whatever looked down upon him.

The young man heard the call and responded by lifting his head, revealing a pair of burning ember eyes behind his silver bangs, narrowing with such dark intent as he looked upon the man who created him. Ansem noticed this reaction and tried to test the boy's senses, speaking with slow words so that his creation could possibly grasp his meanings.

"Do you understand me, my boy?" He questioned.

The silver haired creature said nothing at first, only staring back at his creator with the darkest of expressions. This discouraged the doctor, who's smile quickly shifted into a concerning frown as he worried that the boy couldn't respond.

"Yes," the young man answered in a deep voice, shaking the doctor's form as a chill ran up his spine.

Ansem's frown disappeared as blissful ignorance took over him again, chuckling maniacally as he proceeded with his verbal studies. "Can you stand; move your arms, and your fingers?" He questioned further.

The once lifeless boy said nothing as he forced himself onto his bare feet, flexing his shoulders and arms, and curling his fingers into tight fists that yearned for violence. The doctor continued to laugh mischievously, checking off another mental note as he prepared to give his creation a name.

"My boy, you are alive," he spoke fondly, spreading his arms out as his grin reached to both cornered of his face. "And are deserving of a name!"

"Yes," the silver haired boy whispered.

Doctor Frankenstein took the moment to come up with a name, thinking of old meanings, inspiring individuals he knew, and other words that would fit the description of something born from death. But then another idea struck him hard to his core, making him chuckle deeply as he tried to control himself. When he finally calmed down, he directed his attention to his creation and spoke with such definition.

"Xemnas."

The word was spoken only once but echoed repeatedly in the clouded mind of the silver haired creature, making him comprehend that this word was his own, his title, his name, and his meaning. The feeling was like a drop of ink into a cup of water, spreading a cold substance that ran through his now flowing veins and tensed every muscle in his body. The heart, that wasn't his own, beating loudly in his ears and everything else became nothing but noise.

_This man... created me..._

The silver haired boy named Xemnas watched as the doctor ranted, congratulating his efforts and proclaiming his divinity against the maker himself. His orange eyes stayed narrowed, his lips frowning, and his fists beginning to quiver from the pressure. He wanted to question his existence further, coming up with the words that he knew instinctively.

"Why am I here?" He said.

Doctor Frankenstein halted his self gloating and decided to be generous enough to give his creation an answer. "I brought you back to life, my boy, to show the world of my ingenious vision!"

_This man... he cares nothing for me..._

Xemnas listened to this man's tale, the hate and confusion in his heart burning hotter as the doctor continued to speak words that he didn't want to hear. He learned of his origin, that he was alive once, and he was now a mere shadow of humanity. He wasn't born but made, like a tool or an object created from human hands, like his existence was as significant as the scalpel on the ground next to him.

_Am I just an end result?_

He drifted his attention away from the doctor and looked down at the scalpel, recognizing the fresh blood stains on the blade, the tiny reflection of his eyes, and the realization that it must've been used on him before he was alive. Xemnas was created, like the scalpel that was performed on him, making them equal in value and purpose. But he couldn't accept that fact, his rage boiling over into pure wrath, and his eyes widened as the darkest part of him took over.

_This cannot be... my purpose!_

Xemnas took his first step forward and slowly made his way towards his creator, who only noticed this action after he was only a foot away. The doctor looked into the silver haired boy's eyes and saw immediately his gruesome intentions, stepping back as he tried to find the words to calm his creation down.

"Wa- Wait for a moment," he begged, raising his hands to block him from the unpredictable monster. "I created you out of nothing, you should be grateful."

The wrathful being ignored the doctor's plea and continued to make his way towards him, flexing his fists as preparation for the coming violence. Eventually Ansem found himself pressed against the nearest stone wall, feeling trapped as his creation cornered him for good. But before he could plea for his life, Xemnas reached out and grasped his throat, unable to speak as only choked breaths and saliva escaped his mouth.

_You call me your own... yet you care nothing for me..._

Doctor Frankenstein was but a frail old man with a gifted mind, while his weak body tried to break the monster's grip on his throat. He found that the young boy carried abnormal strength far beyond that of a man made out of corpses, and his body temperature was scorching underneath his skin. The old man's eyes drifted down to the boy's chest, seeing the new heart he transplanted was now pulsing rapidly, glowing brightly around the skin as it gave his chest a reddish hue.

Ansem's eyes widened as he felt something puncture through his stomach, his vision becoming blurry as his own life began to quickly fade away. Xemnas had pierced his other hand through the old man, blood spilling to the cold stone floor as he watched his creator die.

_You think of me as an experiment..._

Xemnas loosened his grip on the doctor's throat and let him slide down the wall until he was on the ground, leaving a trail of blood on the stone behind him.

_And that is your greatest mistake..._

Doctor Frankenstein was close to death, feeling the last traces of his mind remembering the source of his ambitions. He remembered being raised in Geneva, dealing with the loss of his mother, and the woman he wanted to marry. He was man surrounded by death, and sought to bring light out of such darkness, but instead created his own demise.

Ansem released his final breath as he looked up at his creation, his fallen angel, and his monster. Feeling neither cold nor pain as everything seemed to be clear again, whispering something that even he could not explain in a clear mind.

"S- Son..."

Xemnas didn't hear the man's final word, ignoring the sight of the dead doctor as he looked out the castle window into the night town below. The rain and flashes of lightning made it difficult to spot at first glance, but then he quickly noticed the small shimmers of torches making their way up the mountain path towards Frankenstein's castle. He could hear the shouting, the complaining, and the angry voices of the villagers demanding the head of the doctor, but would eventually find something more despicable.

_Now they want me dead... after only being alive for a short while..._

The silver haired man clenched his bloodied hand into a tighter fist, walking away from the body of his creator as he focused his attention on leaving the lab. Meanwhile, the angry villagers stormed the castle and made their way up the stone stairs to find the crazy doctor, reaching to the top of the tower and in a long hallway leading to the laboratory. The hallway was bright with torches stationed on the walls and in the hands of the intruders, the roaring thunder outside echoing throughout the stone walls, and the foreboding double doors that slowly creaked open.

The villagers stopped and watched as the doors opened, revealing a tall and broad figure who stood in their way. They shouted hateful words and demanded to see the doctor, only to receive silence as the brooding figure walked towards them without warning.

When the men and women finally got a good look at the creature, they gasped in fright and called him an abomination, a demon, and a monster. One villager stepped forward and tried to stab the silver haired being with a pitchfork, only for Xemnas to quickly swipe the wooden hilt and reduce his weapon into a mere stick. The villager's expression was that of pure fear, witnessing the spawn of darkness walking towards him.

The villagers fought back, men died, and women screamed in terror as the silver haired monster killed them one by one. Only a few managed to escaped the castle and return home with frightening tales of what they just saw, leaving the monster of Frankenstein alone with a hallway filled with redness and corpses.

Xemnas left the sanctuary of the castle with arms and hands covered in blood, his bare feet feeling the cold mud and dirt for the first time, and his body soaked to the bone from the rain. He made his way up the mountain, the heat from his skin burning off the raindrops into a haze, and the blood that stained his hands slowly washed away.

When he made it as high as he could go, he ascended his eyes upward into the night sky, seeing for a split second the roaring clouds as lightning struck around him. Of course he would be made on a dark night like this, when the heavens were filled with turmoil and gave him nothing but disapproving thunder.

_Why am I here?_

Everyone rejected him since his creation, because he was only a shadow of life, a walking corpse, and an abomination to humanity. But it wasn't fare, it wasn't justice, and the silver haired man couldn't accept something so cruel. He carried no sentimental memories of his past life, only the instincts, and held only sorrow in the heart he couldn't call his own.

The spawn of Frankenstein released a loud roar into the stormy sky, receiving only flashes of lightning and booming thunder as he damned the world and its cruelty.

* * *

Centuries passed, lives were born and faded away, and the world changed around him. But he wasn't born of this world, so he did not age or change like they do, isolating himself from the people who would fear and hate him for his abnormal existence.

Xemnas lived in a small town in Central England, being seen by no one, speaking to no one, and making sure that only he was watching. He would always wear rags to cover his large form, appearing only as a cloaked giant to the citizens around him. But even he would feel the need for social interaction, and would sometimes sit alone at a bar to only watch people interact with each other.

During this cold autumn night, he stayed extra late with no particular reason, with only a small candle providing light for him as he felt entertained by watching the humans' talk, laugh, and argue. His hidden eyes descended down to his bare hand on the wooden table, noticing every detail of the limb that was once only tethered to him by stitches centuries ago.

The silver haired outcast couldn't age but his body showed signs of change anyway, fusing whatever foreign parts that were stitched to him until he became completely whole. The only drastic feature that still remained was the radiating red hue that pulsed from the left side of his chest, sometimes keeping him up at night when he's sleeping in the woods.

The sudden shouting from two individuals broke him away from his deep thought, raising his head to see a few drunken men arguing about some trivial topic while one pulled out a knife. The visual of the blade made him remember the times when he should have died, the memory when he was stabbed in the stomach, took a bullet between the eyes, and was mangled from a car driver who wasn't paying attention to the road.

But every time his body would defy the laws of life and heal himself completely; even to the point of repairing missing limbs entirely. His body was always warm too, understanding only the concept of feeling physical coldness. The same goes with the sense of affection, he lacked the ability to care for a single individual no matter how much he spent with them.

Xemnas ignored the commotion from the drunken men and left the bar in the back door, ending up in a dark alleyway and making his way through the wet surroundings. Rats squeaked and fought for the scraps of food in the garbage, the sky beginning to clear, and the cloaked man halted his quiet walk as he felt the sense that someone was watching him.

He looked over his shoulder, seeing nothing but an empty alleyway where only the rats conversed and lived. But before he directed his attention back in front, he could already tell that someone was waiting for him. The violent impulse in his consciousness began to emerge as he tightened his fingers into a fist, already fantasizing the moment when his hand punctures through the stranger's body, just like his first kill.

"Lovely night we have here," the stranger spoke in a feminine voice.

Xemnas glanced back with his blazing eyes, recognizing the stranger as a woman, early twenties, wearing a black cloak over her shoulders, and having abnormal blue hair. Her skin was pure and pale, glistening off the moonlight like soft milk, and a beautiful face that could tempt any faithful man. But her most prominent feature was her eyes, shimmering in the light like a sparkling ocean, and her pupils were that of black slits like a predator.

She smiled carelessly, revealing a pair of sharp fangs while she giggled into the night, her feminine voice echoing in the cloaked man's ears as he felt an instinctive feeling for the first time.

Fear.

* * *

_Even though his name is Xemnas in this story, I still consider him being Terra so meh... :P_

_Hope you enjoyed the first chapter, the next will be up some time next week I believe. R&R :D  
_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, or the Gothic Novels portrayed in these stories, original characters and stories belong to their original owners...**_


	2. Dracula

_A/N: Here we go, chapter two! I hope I haven't kept you guys waiting long, but hopefully this chapter will satisfy your anticipation until the final chapter next week. R & R please and thank you! :)  
_

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**_Writer: Terra ForceXIII_**

_~*~ Birth from Darkness ~*~_

_Novel II: Dracula_

_"Listen to them, children of the night. What music they make…"_

* * *

In the late 18th hundreds in a small town of England, there was a grim time when people feared to leave their homes and walk in the streets at night. The unknown was dealt with rejection, anything out of the ordinary didn't have time to explain itself, and the cruelty of the world would turn it into something spiteful.

Legends tell of beings called vampires, cold skinned undead that feasted on the blood of humans. They looked like us, talked liked us, and could blend in with the living, only to lure their next victim into a secluded place to prey on their blood. These were only ghost stories, dark tales to scare little children in the night.

But they soon became true when horrific murders spread from the borders of Transylvania to a small town of England, leaving behind multiple victims that carried little blood left in their corpses. The victims' expressions were petrified, their skin pale from the lack of nutrients in their bodies, and they were all found days after they've been murdered. The people were in terror as the serial killer left his murderous trail towards their quiet town, discovering the body of a woman three days after the news had spread.

Stories tell of a noble who traveled at night, inviting people to his company, and they were never seen again. He was known as Count Dracula, who came from Transylvania and traveled to London with ambiguous motives, leaving behind an infamous legend that would be told for centuries to come. But something unexpected happened, something that the Count himself didn't attend, and it slipped away from his shadow of a legend.

Even after Dracula's demise, he left a piece of himself behind.

* * *

Years passed and the small town of Central England thrived in relative peace, forgetting the horrors of the past while a particular child grew up without a care in the world.

Aqua was an orphan girl found by the church, being adopted by one of the priestesses and became the town's blue star. She was born with pure peach skin, significantly blue hair, and ocean eyes that shined brightly during the day. She was regarded as an angel, the town's girl, and was loved by everyone.

But the blue haired maiden kept some things to herself, keeping her smile strong while she did her faithful duties in the daylight. The changes happened to her once she hit puberty, the warmth and solar glare of the sun slowly became unbearable to her, and she tried to find ways to avoid its sight. Food became bitter in her mouth, forcing her to a diet of meat, preferably pink and juicy. She couldn't sleep at night, spending the long hours thinking in her bed and keeping her abnormal problems to herself.

Aqua was changing into something she couldn't understand, fearing herself more than she feared the possible rejection from others. Her mother knew about her adopted daughter's changes, keeping the secret between them. But eventually her mother fell ill, losing the will to live as her daughter prayed for her health.

The young girl sat at her mother's bedside, her eyes glistening in the little light from the lit candles in the room. The sun had already set and the town began to fall asleep, while Aqua didn't feel the need to rest at all.

"You don't need to watch me all night, dear," her mother whispered, trying to keep her eyes open.

Aqua took her mother's hand and smiled. "Its fine, I can just read a book until morning," she answered softly.

"You can't sleep anymore?"

Aqua's smile shifted into a frown as she looked away from her mother, staring into the fire of a nearby candle as her eyes became hypnotized from the flame. "I haven't slept at night for two years," she muttered.

The blue haired maiden kept her gaze on the candle, ignoring the fact that she could see clearly in the dark, and her mother falling asleep while her daughter waited till morning.

Autumn came and the sun disappeared behind the dark clouds, the leaves turning yellow and orange before falling, and the blue haired maiden started to feel more alive. Now that the annoying sun wasn't around to exhaust her, Aqua returned to her lively self while she cared for her mother. The changes in her body continued and they started to show physically, with the black pupils in her eyes shifting from circles to slits, and the canines of her teeth became sharper.

But eventually her mother's illness was too much and she died silently in her bed, while her daughter wept by her side. She could hear the heartbeat slowly stop and the aura around her mother fading, until she rested her head and she was gone. Aqua couldn't explain how she could sense these things, like she carried a sixth sense like she heard animals could possess.

Her mother was buried on October 21, and Aqua decided to follow her mother's footsteps and join the church. But her abnormal changes started to become noticeable, starting with the fact that she stopped eating in public.

She was in the middle of walking at night when she stumbled by a bar, noticing as a large brute exited the front door with a commotion and a bottle in his hand. When he directed his hazy dark eyes on her, Aqua decided to make a quick decision and halted her pace, turning into an alley to find a way around the man.

"Where are you going, sweetie?" The drunken man commented.

Aqua's eyes widened as she discovered that she entered a dead-end, turning her head to see the man blocking her path. But the puzzling question in her mind wasn't how to escape, but the fact that she didn't fear him. The towering man should be threatening with his large and broad stature, but instead he felt like a nuisance.

"I just want to talk," the man chuckled, walking slowly with a disgusting grin. "I'll pay you."

"No thank you, sir," Aqua answered sternly, keeping her noble posture. "Now please let me pass."

The drunken man wiped his mouth and disregarded her request, stumbling randomly as he spoke in a ragged voice. "You're that blue haired girl, aren't yeah?"

Aqua didn't feel the need to answer; she only narrowed her eyes and turned to her side to deny the man to gawk. Her heart was pumping fast with adrenaline, her heightened senses in affect as she heard the man's own heartbeat, the smell of the alcohol on his breath, and the blood flowing through his intoxicated veins.

The drunken man showed no decency and tried to assault her, while Aqua shouted and pleaded him to stop. She ended up smacking him in the face, scratching his fuzzy cheek and leaving a red line. The man growled and called her vulgar names, raising his bottle as he prepared to smash her head in.

The blue haired maiden stopped her struggles, smelling something that sent surges of adrenaline through her body. She hadn't eaten in days and this sweet smell sent her over the edge, Aqua's eyes shifting to the man's face as she realized that it was the scent of the blood on his cheek. Her eyes widened and her irises shifted with colors, while her pupils shrunk into slits as something dark took over her thoughts.

Before the man could swing his bottle, the blue haired girl had already placed her hands on his shoulders, digging her nails into his skin as she leaned up towards his neck. She slammed her fangs deep into his throat and blood quickly sprayed from the punctures, making the man choke as he dropped the bottle to shatter on the stone ground. The drunken brute was larger than her yet she managed to overpower him and force him onto the ground as she crushed the air tube in his throat, red liquid staining half of the maiden's face as she consumed the fluid that flowed out.

_So good... it tastes so good_

The man choked on his own blood and his arms were unable to fight back, his startled eyes staring up into the clouded sky as he slowly died. Aqua released her grip and gasped, leaning back as she tried to figure out what just happened, pressing her back against the stone wall as she stared horrified at the motionless man on the ground.

"Wh- What have I done?" She stuttered, placing a hand on her face to feel the warm blood staining her pure skin.

She still had the taste in her mouth, and she couldn't help but wipe the traces off with her tongue. She couldn't resist wasting the substance, for her hunger was too strong to think clearly about the immoral act.

"I- I just killed a man," she quivered, gazing down at the blood stained body as she heard the roaring of the thunder in the sky.

The sound of a few rain drops hitting the stone was all the warning she got as a shower quickly followed, soaking her dress to the bone as she stayed petrified. The rain slowly washed the blood from her beautiful face, and created a dirty red puddle near the man's corpse.

How could she have done such a thing, and why couldn't she control herself? But instead she acted like a hungry wild dog and gave into her own animalist nature, resulting in her committing a murder. Even though this man was a brute and he might have done things in the past to truly deserve this fate, but it wasn't supposed to be from such a noble girl like Aqua.

She ran out of the alleyway and headed home, ignoring the rain as it poured over her and the people in the streets that questioned her hasty actions. The frightened girl returned home and slammed the door shut, crying in fear as she quickly changed out of her blood stained clothes. But even though she changed and washed up, she could still smell the aroma on her body.

Aqua bundled up near the fireplace, staring into the flames with empty eyes as she pondered on the status of her well-being. She was a murderer, a sinner, and a monster, but those judgments were somewhat clouded with the satisfying taste still in her mouth.

She never tasted something like this, everything she ate always ended in the mediocre category, but the irresistible taste of human blood was unimaginable. The warmth, the texture, and the feeling on her tongue was something she never experienced before, and it scared Aqua to her core.

The blue haired maiden remembered reading a story about a monster that hungered for the blood of man, and that it feared only light, garlic, and holy crosses. She knew how much the sun annoyed her, the revolting taste and smell of garlic, and how only looking at a cross made her feel uneasy.

"I'm a vampire," she whispered.

But something wasn't right, the stories tell that a vampire turns to ash in sunlight, is poisoned by garlic, and is burned by the touch of crosses. It was as if these elements were only a mild inconvenience for her, like she wasn't a complete vampire, and that she was torn between two lives.

Did her mother knew, or did she die not knowing that her daughter was a monster? Aqua hoped for the second option, preferring her mother to remember her adopted daughter as an angel rather than a demon. But that was all in the past now, she was on her own without anyone to protect her from this pessimistic world. How would the town react if they found out; and what'll happen to her once they find out?

She wanted to believe that the people of this town could be reasonable, and that she could convince them that she was good, but she wasn't naive enough to pray for such a thing. This had to be a secret, just long enough for her to come up with a permanent solution. After brushing away the remainders of her tears, the blue haired maiden retired to bed for the night, spending the next several hours repeating the visual memory of what happened in that alleyway.

* * *

Aqua was lucky enough to escape the crime scene without anyone noticing, considering the police haven't knocked at her front door yet. But she left a victim with twin puncture wounds in his neck, which already caught the attention of the schizophrenic authorities. The word, vampire, was already being thrown around and it made the blue haired priestess nervous.

She hasn't eaten since that night, and the thought of blood occupied her thoughts when she had nothing to do. But tonight she'll be attending a pre-Halloween festival in town, and will stay for the after party in the town's largest bar. Everything was going smoothly until one particular handsome man made an acquaintance of her company, hitting off a discussion at a lone table while Aqua tried to keep things neutral.

"Have you lived here your whole life?" He asked in a foreign accent, starting off another conversation.

"Yes," Aqua answered nicely, thinking back to how she was an orphan living with her adoptive mother. "I've known this place forever, but I like to dream about seeing other places."

The handsome young man smirked with delight. "Then perhaps I could take you with me when I return to France next month," he pursued.

The opportunity was tempting and it was a good solution to her problem, but it would require her to be closer to this man. He was charming, handsome, and was the son of a nobleman in Paris; he was the complete package by all standards. But the blue haired maiden wasn't sure if it was a good idea to be close to anyone, considering her situation being a vampire.

She could sense the tension in the man's heartbeat, probably because he was anticipating her response. But the underlining fact that Aqua missed was her memorizing beauty, yet another dangerous weapon that was given to her by her vampire heritage. She hasn't encountered a single man who wasn't hypnotized by her perfect appearance, like flies drawn towards a dark flame.

"Well?" The young man asked again, snapping the maiden out of her deep thought.

"That's quite a proposal," Aqua spoke nervously, trying to delay her answer.

"Well, you don't have to make a decision tonight," he spoke after taking a sip of his cup. "We have a few weeks before I return home."

"Thank you," she said softly, ending the discussion with equal chuckles.

Midnight arrived and the two decided to exit the bar out the back door, where they ended up in a one-way alleyway. The handsome man kept his hands to himself like a perfect gentleman, while Aqua tried her best to hide the blush on her cheeks. They continued their friendly discussions and managed to playfully send each other flirty signals, the blue haired maiden attempting to give this man a chance.

She gave him a kiss on the cheek before they decided to call it a night, sending adrenaline through her veins as her heart started beating fast. The excitement caused her vision to blur with every pulse of her heart, her pupils shrinking into slits again, and her mouth slightly gapping as she released heavy breaths. She accepted the man's hug without question, smelling his scent and the faint traces of blood underneath his skin.

_No... it's happening again..._

Aqua's mind was getting hazy as the situation became hotter, not even questioning the fact that the handsome man gave her a swift kiss on the lips. She grinned seductively, partially revealing her fangs as she continued to lure her prey into her web. She wrapped her hands behind his neck, making sure he couldn't escape as she leaned up to give him another kiss.

"My lady," he said weakly. "You're not acting like yourself."

"No," she whispered, narrowing her eyes as her irises shifted into a dark purple color. "I'm being myself for the first time in my life."

The young man's eyes widened as he felt a spike of pain surge through his body, feeling a warm substance spray from his right side and passed his vision. He couldn't understand what was happening, unable to react properly as his hands quivered near the blue haired beauty's dress. Everyone around him became dark and his legs were unable to support his weight, leaning his body against the wet stone wall as he slowly slid down onto the alleyway ground.

_No... I did it again..._

Aqua stood over the young man's body in fright, blood dripping down her chin as the red wine stained the lower half of her face. Her eyes were wide open and looked down at the bloody corpse, remembering how lively and wonderful this man was before they exited the bar.

_It wasn't supposed to be this way..._

The blue haired vampire murdered another person, but this time it was someone completely innocent, and it ached her heart completely. She was going to accept this man's proposal, she had an opportunity to go to France, and she was finally going to escape from this place. But now her only chance to start a new life died along with this man, and everything seemed to be crashing down on her.

Aqua returned to reality as she heard a scream, looking over at the end of the alleyway to see a couple witnessing her sinful act. The man held his woman tight in his arms as they both stared at the blue haired maiden with pure fear in their eyes, noticing the blood trailing down her mouth and the corpse on the ground.

"Sh- She's a vampire," The woman gasped.

"You monster!" The man barked.

She couldn't explain herself and she seemed to be beyond redemption now, the blue haired maiden ran passed the couple and made her way down the town streets. Tears streamed down her face, coming to grips with the reality that her life was over, heading straight for the church that she knew so well and locking herself in. No priests or priestesses were in this night and she sat near the center, praying to her deceased mother for forgiveness as she waited for the law to come.

She heard shouting outside and went towards the window, seeing a crowd of people standing outside the church with torches. They demanded that the blue haired vampire be burned, beheaded, and everything in-between. Aqua pressed up against the double doors and tried to think of words to say, hearing the people she knew calling her a monster.

"Please," she shouted, closing her eyes tight as she tried to explain herself. "I didn't mean to kill him!"

The mob of people ignored her plea and continued to demand her head, calling her a murderer, a witch, and other vulgar names. The crowd's noise ceased as someone stepped in front of the church doors, Aqua recognizing the man's voice as the town's judge.

"This vampire has fooled us from the beginning," he preached, ignoring her side of the story and throwing her to the wolves. "Posing as in innocent young girl and living among us, bewitching us with her dark magic!"

These were all lies; Aqua was speechless to defend herself as the crooked judge verbally painted her as nothing but a pure monster. She loved the people of this town; she genuinely wanted to make everyone happy, despite the vampire heritage that she was born with. But none of that mattered now; she was no longer the sweet beauty that walked in the sunlight, but a demon with an uncontrollable hunger for blood.

She heard rustling outside her door, and she budged to find that she was completely trapped inside. But the next thing she knew, torches were thrown through the windows and the inside of the church quickly burned. While Aqua panicked to find a way out, she could hear the voices of the priestess begging for the crowd to stop. They watched as their church slowly burned, the girl they raised inside, and everyone around them demanded blood.

All the exits were either blocked or burning, and the frightened bluenette stayed in the middle of the church as the fire slowly crept towards her. She cried and coughed, falling to her knees and holding herself together as she lost all hope for redemption.

_I'm a monster..._

The building's ceiling slowly crumbled around her, the flames closing in as it consumed the wood around the female beauty. The ash and ember danced around her small form, sticking to her sweating skin as it prevented her from keeping her eyes open.

_I've lost everything..._

Aqua's thoughts went back to her mother, imagining how disappointed she would of been, and that was the aching pain that burned her through more than any physical flame.

_And I am alone..._

She screamed, shook, and cried out as the inferno engulfed her body, killing her in seconds as the building finally collapsed and became her grave. The smoldering remains clouded the sky and a few towns' folk kept watch until it finally stopped next morning, drinking and laughing as they postponed digging through the rubble till the afternoon.

* * *

_Am I dead..._

She could still breathe, smell, and feel the things around her as she slowly came back to life, coughing as she breathed in the ash, smelling the smoldering smoke, and felt the warm rubble that surrounded her body. Her eyes slowly peeled open, seeing the black and grey wood that made up her grave and the small fragments of light from the surface.

_I don't feel... anything..._

Aqua couldn't hear her own heartbeat, and pondered on the fact that she was still whole after being consumed in flame. Her dress and other clothing were scorched to nothingness, leaving her in nothing but charcoal and ash to cover her untouched form.

The flames couldn't kill her and the dark genes flowing through her veins healed her completely, shifting her from the inside and turning her into a hollowed being of what she was before.

Her hand broke through the surface of the smoldering wood and she slowly went into the morning light, staring up at the clear sky with blue eyes that were like an empty ocean. The sun no longer bothered her, in fact, nothing mattered at all. She couldn't care about the people that hated her, the loss of her old life, and everything else in the world.

She looked down at her hand, noticing how pure her palm and fingers were underneath the black ash that covered them. Her pale blue eyes narrowed with deep thought, rubbing the ash between her fingers and remembering back into her past life.

_Maybe I'm meant to be a monster..._

Aqua's eyes suddenly became brighter as her pupils shrunk into slits once more, feeling something warm slowly growing inside her empty body. She stood up and looked into the sunlight with a displeasing expression, disliking how lively and carefree the giant candle was and dismissing it as nothing but a mockery to her ruined existence.

_I have nothing to care for anymore..._

But then the image of her mother came to mind, representing the last humanity she kept in her heart. That was all the comfort she needed in her immortal existence, keeping it as a treasure while she continued to exist endlessly.

_I'm a vampire..._

The blue haired maiden disappeared from the smoldering rubble of the church, leaving behind her identity that died in this ignorant town, but keeping the name that her loving mother gave her.

She wanted to explore the world, to see new places without care, and live in the comfort of darkness. But before she left that night, she decided to leave a final mark on the homeland, tracking down the crooked judge that sentenced her without mercy.

The man was lured into an alleyway with the promise of a good time, expecting to see one of many working girls that lived near the dark side of town. When they were finally alone, she ceased her act and stopped giggling, frowning as she kept her hood over her face.

Before the man could even place his hand on her shoulder, she moved swiftly and swiped her hand across his vision, slicing his jugular with the sharpness of her nails. The judge couldn't comprehend what was happening as blood sprayed from his throat, falling back against the wall as he watched the girl remove her hood.

Aqua revealed a friendly smirk, her eyes glowing brightly in the moonlight, and a soft giggle escaping her lips. "Oh please, don't die just yet," she spoke darkly.

The blue haired vampire bit down into his open throat, slurping the red substance like tea as the man choked and tried to plea for help. She felt that his blood was rather dull, but it'll have to suffice until she reached the next town. After the blood stopped flowing, she released the judge and he fell to the cold ground with a thud, while the bluenette exited the alleyway without a second look back.

* * *

The vampire beauty visited France, Italy, and other European countries, leaving behind a fare number of bodies of men as she explored without regret. Centuries passed, people changed, and the world moved forward while Aqua watched with preying eyes.

Time made her think, and she thought about companionship, wondering if she could find other vampires in this vast world that she barely explored. She eventually went back to England, visiting her home town to see how much has changed, and seeing new faces for the first time.

But the craving came back and she wanted to satisfy her hunger, standing on the roof of a beat-up bar as she waited for someone to exit through the back door leading to a dark alleyway, the easiest and best location for her to feed. She wore a black cloak to cover her form and a hood to hide her face, the fabric blowing in the autumn breeze as she anticipated her next kill.

Aqua smiled as someone finally stepped outside and started walking, moving with lightning speed as she intercepted her prey when he looked behind him. The man was tall and broad, wearing a ragged cloak to cover his giant form as he looked into her general direction.

"Lovely night we have here," Aqua spoke calmly.

Strangely enough, the cloaked man said nothing and only glared back at her with cold ember eyes, surprising the blue haired maiden as she shifted her expression into a curious frown. She was puzzled to find that his heartbeat was steady, and it was loud and booming in her ears like a large drum.

"It's rude to not respond when someone is trying to talk to you," she scolded, trying to lure this enigma with a cute pout.

Suddenly the cloaked man rushed towards her and swung his fist; shocking Aqua with how bloodthirsty this mortal was as she dodged his first swing, backing up into a wall as the man prepared to punch her again. She moved swiftly in the wind and dodged his second swing, which landed on the stone wall and struck the hard surface, consuming the man in a cloud of dust as his fist crushed through.

_What?_

Aqua was astonished and dumbfounded at the same time, watching with clear eyes as the man's arm fractured and skin ripped apart, bones breaking as she could easily see his elbow joints sticking out. His bare arm was destroyed from the impact, yet the emotionless man responded only with silence as he directed his attention towards her, while his barely tethered arm hung loosely by his side.

"What are you?" She asked.

"What are _you_?" The man questioned back in a deep tone.

The blue haired vampire was puzzled how this man could stare at her so seriously, he was the first person to break away from her hypnotizing beauty, but instead he continued to challenge her with his cold ember eyes. This feeling of caution was somewhat new to her, not since her past life did she feel the need to be precautious, and she had to think twice before attempting to approach this enigmatic individual.

But before she could possibly smitten him with her words, her perceptive eyes directed back at his broken arm, and was shocked to find that it was healing itself rather dramatically. The man said nothing as his arm repaired itself, bones snapping back into place, torn muscles came together like red fabric, and the healing finished with orange veins glowing brightly under his clean skin. The cloaked man's arm was brand new, like nothing happened moments ago, putting curiosity before caution in the blue haired woman's mind.

"Are you a vampire?" Aqua questioned with hints of hope.

"I do not know of such things," he spoke deeply.

The man removed his cloak without a word and revealed his anomalous self, again shocking Aqua as she examined his form. The silver haired man was broad with bronze skin, wearing only a pair of torn black pants and boots. His body was covered in scars, from large gashes over his chest, lines of pale repaired skin all across his arms, and a single scar on the left side of his jaw line. Aqua concluded that these must have been other times he was wounded and his body rapidly healed itself, leaving behind a mark for each time he was butchered by circumstance. But the most prominent feature was the red hue around the left side of his chest, pulsing like a heartbeat.

"If you are not like me, then what are you?" she questioned, relaxing her pose as she furthered the discussion.

"An abomination," he answered coldly.

A rather handsome abomination, Aqua commented mentally. This silver haired man was different from the rest, abandoned by humanity just like her, and she couldn't help but feel drawn towards him. Throwing caution to the wind, she slowly walked towards with the friendliest smile she could muster. The silver haired man responded coldly with narrowed eyes, clenching his fists as he prepared to respond to any hostility.

The blue haired woman stood in front of him and ascended her gaze, smiling brightly as she tried to persuade the beast with words. "You're a monster, like me."

The enigmatic man shifted his wrathful expression into cringing sorrow, which meant that Aqua had struck a chord in his glowing heart. The vampire beauty tried something else and slowly raised her hand to meet his face, while the man tensed his muscles while the urge to kill crept into his mind. She placed her soft hand on his cheek, feeling his scorching skin nearly burn her cold palm.

"What's your name if I may ask?" she said astonished.

"Xemnas," the man spoke.

The blue haired vampire brought her hand down and took a step back, gently grasping the sides of her cloak near her waist and bowed like a noblewoman. "Aqua," she introduced.

The two spawns of darkness said nothing as they took the moment to gaze, the vampire smiling vibrantly while the monster of Frankenstein looked back stoically.

* * *

After much discussion and a few moments of fighting, the two monsters agreed to a partnership. The silver haired man yearned for company that wouldn't reject him, while the vampire beauty wanted an alternate solution to preying on humanity. Their partnership lasted for the next three years, with the blue haired maiden providing most of excitement and enthusiasm during their constant interaction. The relationship wasn't normal per say, like them, but Aqua would like to consider them as a couple, while Xemnas neither agreed nor disagreed.

During their travels across Europe, they made their home in Great Britain, spending time in beautiful London. After another night exploring the sites and spending time in a restaurant, of course earning some questionable gazes, and exited with some leftover food in a bag. They walked the isolated streets at night, with the full moon shining brightly, and Aqua provided the discussion to break the silence. The vampire maiden wrapped her arms around her partner's strong one as they walked, while the silver haired man kept his emotionless gaze forward.

"Before we head home, do you mind if I eat," she asked in a carefree tone. "I'm rather famished after watching you eat at the restaurant?"

"Sure," Xemnas muttered.

The two entered a dark alley away from anyone who could see, and Xemnas pulled his sleeve of his coat up until bare arm was visible. Aqua placed her hands on his muscular forehead and lowered her head down, sinking her fangs gently into his wrist, and consumed his delicious blood with satisfied moans.

But then something quickly interrupted their weekly ritual and swiped the bag from Xemnas' other hand, but Aqua's vampire senses were faster and tripped the thief during his act. The person was smaller and wore a brown cloak over his form, gasping as he fell to the cold floor with a young boy's voice.

Aqua looked down at the thief with a displeasing expression, feeling rather insulted that this boy interrupted her dinner, while Xemnas stepped forward with the intention to kill. The thief hastily crawled up against a couple of trashcans and quivered in fear, breathing heavy as he curled himself up into a formable form.

"I- I'm sorry," the boy spoke weakly.

The hood of his cloak slipped off and something unexpected popped out, which made the couple relinquish their serious expressions as they stared at him. The spiky blonde haired boy had a pair of canine-like ears, his hefty breathing revealing sharp teeth that craved for flesh, and a fluffy tail curling around his ankles as a means of protection.

"P- Please, I'm hungry," he begged, as his blue eyes looked away in fear. "I just want some meat…"

* * *

_Kinda grim for Aqua's back story but maybe that statement is best saved for the next story. Thanks for reading, and let's continue to enjoy the month of Halloween! :D  
_

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, or the Gothic Novels portrayed in these stories, original characters and stories belong to their original owners..._**


	3. The Wolfman

_A/N: My apologies for this being a day late after Halloween, but I was busy with life and I had to postpone finishing this for a bit. But, I'm glad I got it done and I enjoyed writing every minute of it, even if what I'm writing is pretty dark. :)_

* * *

**_Writer: Terra ForceXIII_**

_~*~ Birth from Darkness ~*~_

_Novel III: The Wolfman  
_

_"I believe a man lost in the mazes of his own mind may imagine that he's anything..."_

* * *

Yellow Eyes narrowed at its prey, saliva covered fangs tasted the air, razor claws flexed in the dirt, and angry growls escaped its throat. Golden fur rustled in the cold breeze, the scent of mouthwatering flesh in the air, and utter silence filling its ears. The large trees watched the display, anticipating the violent act of the natural order of the forest.

Then the predator finally pounced and the silence of the forest was no more, the shrieks of the deer and the roars of the beast were intertwined into a horrific music. The sun barely gazed through the grey clouds as the killing in the forest continued, flesh was torn and sliced, innocent eyes widened, and blood spilled into the soil.

Its mouth opened with a heavy growl, hot breath visible in the cold, and blood mixed with saliva covered its fang.

* * *

Ventus opened his eyes with a panicked gasp, awakening from his stressful dream in the comfort of his cabin home. He could hear his mother making breakfast down stairs, the birds chirping outside in the fog covered trees, and the muffled voices of his family's discussion.

The boy's blonde hair was messy and spiked in multiple places, his blue eyes slightly muted from his stoic expression, and he had pale bandages on his head and left arm after an unexpected wolf attack a few days ago.

_I've been having these weird thoughts lately..._

His body still carried some lingering aches from the dramatic event, and he couldn't lift himself up from bed without groaning. His expression was stoic with a hint of tiredness, feeling the after effects of the dreams he's been having lately. It was like his horrific nightmare sucked the energy out of him, leaving him with nothing by time he wakes up.

He lived with his parents in a small village in Gwynedd Wales, near the white covered mountain of Snowdon. The environment was cold and foggy this autumn, which was rather challenging for hunting.

"That dream again," he whispered, dismissing his thoughts as he prepared to leave his room.

He carefully slipped his white button shirt on with aching sighs, wearing his blue jeans and socks as he made his way downstairs where he could already smell the aroma of mother's breakfast. He quietly sat down and started eating, consuming his bacon and sausage first with animalistic hunger.

"Feeling better, sweetie?" His mother asked as she cleaned the dishes.

"A little, my shoulder still hurts," he answered honestly.

Suddenly he felt someone's hand pat him on the wrong shoulder, sending surges of pain throughout his body as he hissed from the touch. He didn't need to turn around to know that it was his bullying older brother, who whistled his way in the chair next to him and start eating his own meal.

"You know that stings, Vanitas," the blonde boy muttered.

"Don't be a wuss," his brother lectured, giving him an unfriendly look as a warning.

Vanitas was three years older than his brother, carrying their father's charcoal black hair and lightly pale skin, intimidating golden eyes, and an attitude opposite of his carefree younger sibling. He seemed to be born with a rude and independent persona, and it was this kind of attitude that Ventus slightly admired and felt exhausted from on a daily bases.

"Think you can keep up with me when we go into town today?" He questioned.

Ventus gulped his chewed food and tried to stand his ground. "Sure, it beats laying down in bed all day."

"Jeez, Ventus," his mother commented, eying her youngest son's plate. "You're such a carnivore."

The spiky blonde's plate was clear of meat with only the scrambled eggs remaining, which was how his meals usually disappeared in that order. He gave his mother a smirk and wiped his mouth clean with his sleeve, while his older brother ignored the two and continued eating the rest on his plate.

After finishing their meals and gathering their bundles of clothes to combat the cold, consistent of thick jackets, boots, and gloves, and they left the warmth of their cabin home and walked down the slope towards town. Vanitas didn't bother in meeting his younger brother's steady pace and kept to himself, while the blonde boy adjusted his bandaged shoulder in his weighty clothing.

"What are we getting today?" He asked, trying to make conversation.

The charcoal haired brother looked over his shoulder and turned back to his front. "Just a couple groceries for mom and we're heading back," he answered simply.

The fog was thick this morning and it only allowed a couple feet of visibility, but the two managed to fine the main town and make their way around the shops. There wasn't many people roaming the streets and it made things a little more relaxing, enough that the spiky blonde was finished gathering his half of the groceries before his brother. He decided to explore any of the newest merchants in towns and found one particular tent displaying jewelry and trinkets; the fabric and designs gave him the impression that this was a traveling gypsy.

"I wonder if there's anything mom would like," he asked himself, deciding to browse while he waited.

He stepped into the large purple tent and examined the many tables displaying colorful trinkets, while the owner sat quietly in a wooden chair on the other side. The old gypsy woman stared at the boy with a blank expression, waiting patiently for him to decide to buy something or not, while Ventus tried to play casual and look for something unique.

He spotted something and brought it to the gypsy woman, pulling out some money as she silently accepted the exchange. During the transaction, Ventus glanced at a unique carving of a wolf's head in silver, reaching over to get a better look. But as soon as he touched the necklace, he felt something uncomfortable run through his body and make him petrified to move.

"Wh- What is this?" He stuttered.

The old lady noticed his quivering and glanced back at the necklace, showing some genuine emotion as she gave the boy a serious frown. She grabbed the silver trinket and put it away, restoring the blonde boy's nerves as he took the moment to recover.

"Were you bitten?" The gypsy woman questioned.

Ventus was taken back from her sudden decision to speak, mumbling a bit before he finally cleared his head and spoke. "Y- Yeah... I was attacked by a wolf a few days ago but..."

The old lady stood from her seat and walked towards the boy, which made him take a few steps back in response. She pulled out the necklace and presented it to the spiky blonde, sending shivers down his spine as she swayed it back and forth.

"Then it is possible that you are already cursed," she spoke sternly.

"Cursed by what?" He asked, gulping a lump in his throat as a sweat drop fell from his forehead.

"By a werewolf, my boy," she answered. "And whoever is bitten by one becomes a wolf them self."

How could he believe in such a outlandish tale? Ventus thought back when he and his brother were attacked in the forest during their morning hunt, and how the rabid canine acted out of normal circumstances. The wolf was larger than most, its eyes glowing in yellow, and the feeling of its fangs biting into his shoulder and sending haunting pains throughout his body.

"That's... insane," he muttered, trying to change the subject.

"Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night, may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright," the old lady warned, ignoring his comment and placing his paid trinket in a bag.

But Ventus noticed that she slipped in the silver wolf necklace in the bag and held it up by its beads. "What do I do with this?" He asked.

The gypsy woman returned to her chair and gave the boy a concerning glance, speaking in a tone of pity. "Keep it with you at night, and maybe this curse will be cured before it's too late."

Ventus couldn't look at the wolf necklace without cringing in anxiety, half of him believing in the old woman's warning while the other half wanted to dismiss it as rubbish. But something told him that maybe being optimistic might be a wasted effort, scratching his neck nervously as he left the tent to rejoin with his younger brother. The woman's words were echoing through his mind, making him sweat and barely pay attention to where he was going.

_It's just a foolish tale; Ventus... get a hold of yourself..._

He tried to convince himself to feel better but nothing was working, he ended up finding his younger brother while displaying a sorrowful frown, which didn't go unnoticed by the charcoal haired boy.

"Been taking your sweet time, idiot?" Vanitas scolded.

Ventus didn't have the energy nor was in the mood to retort; he only walked by his brother and headed home with slumped shoulders. The raven haired brother raised an eyebrow and followed suite, keeping a close eye on his little sibling as they traveled up the trail towards their cabin home.

Back then when they were attacked by the rabid wolf, Ventus remembered saving his older brother and took the bite himself. It was just a genuine gesture that he thought was the right decision to make to save his brother, yet now it seems like his decision carries more significance then he could ever imagine. He took a bite for his brother, the curse that could doom him forever, and he was conflicted whether or not it was worth it.

* * *

_Should I tell my mother and brother..._

When they got home and finished taking care of the groceries, Ventus retired into his bedroom for some deep thinking. He laid on his bed and stared blankly at the ceiling with narrowed eyes, the bag of trinkets by his bedside as he thought about the gypsy woman's tale.

The more he thought about himself becoming a monster, the more he could hear his heartbeat rapidly increase in his chest. He feared that he would hurt his family and end up dead himself, and the fact that he couldn't do anything about it ate away at his hope.

_I won't become a monster..._

But he couldn't accept this grim fate and rose from his bed, feeling a slight pain in his shoulder as he grabbed his trinkets and headed down stairs. His mother was busy cleaning while his brother read a book on the couch, who gave him a half annoyed and concerning look.

"Hey, mom," he said casually, pulling out the trinket for his mother. "I got this for you."

"Aw, sweetie, you didn't have to," she admired, accepting her gift and giving her son a hug and a kiss.

"And this is for you, Vanitas," he mentioned, carefully grabbing the wolf necklace by its beads as he handed it to his brother.

The charcoal haired boy raised a questionable eyebrow and saw through his little brother's carefree smile, examining the sudden gift in his hand while he continued to give him interrogating questions.

"What did you break in my room?" He said.

Ventus gave him a pouting expression and answered in his usual tone whenever he explains himself to his ungrateful brother. "Nothing, this is just something I decided to do with my allowance!"

"Sure," Vanitas teased, putting the necklace in his pocket.

_It would be better if Vanitas held onto it... in case the curse is real..._

Seeing his mother and brother brought warmth into his troubled heart, making smile brightly as he moved aside his worries and decided to spend the rest of the day with them. But he couldn't tell if it was because he genuine wanted to be around them, or maybe it was a last request before his dark trials begin.

* * *

Ventus felt especially hungry this dinner, and it really showed when his mother presented him and his brother a plate of steak and spinach. He immediately went for the steak, ignoring his greens as he usually does while earning a displeasing look from his mother.

He was happy to notice that his mother was wearing the trinket he got her, while his stubborn brother showed less of appreciation by having the wolf necklace on the table, which made the spiky blonde slightly uncomfortable whenever he glanced at the particular object.

"Come on, sweetie," his mother complained. "Eat your vegetables!"

With a carefree eye roll, he stabbed some spinach with his fork and ate it with a groan. His brother was nearly finished by time he ate half of his greens, the silence at the table slowly driving the blonde boy insane as he tried to think of something to say. But the only thing running through his mind was the gypsy woman's warning, the tale about werewolves, and how he might be cursed for life.

_Not the best topic for a family discussion..._

"So where did you get these lovely necklaces?" His mother asked, killing the silence.

Ventus was busy chewing his greens and displaying a goofy expression to respond, while his older brother rolled his eyes. "I- huh... got it from one of the traveling merchants," he eventually answered.

"Sure you did," Vanitas teased, crossing his arms as he waited to be excused from the table.

The spiky blonde gulped his greens and gave his brother a pouting look, quickly thinking of a retort. "Hey, it's not like I-"

Suddenly a painful feeling in his gut interrupted his sentence, making his eyes widen and a grunt escape his throat. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears and the voices of his mother and brother became slightly muted, losing the will to steady himself on his chair and collapse on the ground.

_What's happening to me..._

He gripped his stomach in an attempt to stop the pain, cringing on the floor while his loved ones kneeled beside him. He couldn't hold it in and vomited on the floor, all the spinach that he ate for dinner was now green chunks on the ground beside him. He barely heard his older brother's complaint while his mother ordered him to be serious, which didn't help the quivering blonde during his collapse.

But then his eyelids became heavy and closed the curtain on his unfortunate turmoil. Everything became darker, his family's voices faded away, and the pain in his body subsided into a numb after ache that lasted throughout his unconsciousness.

He could hear the growls of a ravenous canine, the bone chilling screams of a dear being slaughtered, and he could almost taste the blood in his mouth. This was the feeling of being a predator, and it made him feel like not-himself.

But eventually these abnormal visions disappeared like his past dreams and he woke up in his bed again, staring up at the ceiling while hearing the slight breeze coming from his open window. His body was aching and he couldn't lift himself up, turning his head to see his older brother sitting in a chair beside him.

"You're hopeless," he sighed, acting like his usual nonchalant self.

"Yeah, I guess I am..." Ventus spoke weakly, masking his inner sorrow with a smile.

"And a horrible liar," Vanitas answered quickly.

This comment shifted the weak blonde's expression into one of concern, raising an eyebrow while his brother gave him a serious glance. The raven haired teen reached into his pocket and pulled out the silver necklace, carelessly dropping it on his brother's sheet covered chest. Ventus cringed from the lack of space between him and the unbearable object on his chest, glancing at the threatening necklace with frightened eyes.

"What have you been hiding from me and mom?" Vanitas questioned.

The worried blonde wondered his eyes elsewhere while he tried to tip-toe away from the discussion. "Nothing, I just had an upset stomach from mom's spinach," he muttered.

The charcoal haired brother leaned forward and flicked his finger on his younger sibling's bandaged forehead, making the blonde flinch from the spike of pain in his head.

"Wrong answer," he scolded, leaning back in his seat. "So tell me where you got that necklace."

Ventus didn't have the energy for this interrogation, but it seemed like his older brother wasn't giving him any options. He knew how much his older brother liked to tease him, how arrogant he could be, and how uncooperative he is sometimes, but he was his older brother nonetheless.

"You remember when that wolf attacked us a couple days ago?" He started.

Ventus explained what he heard from the old lady and how her descriptions matched the encounter with the strange wolf that bit him in the forest, while Vanitas stayed abnormally quiet and listened carefully as his younger sibling spilled his worries and concerns.

"So you think you'll turn into a bloodthirsty wolf because you're cursed," the raven haired teen confirmed.

"Stupid huh?" Ventus sighed, feeling embarrassed to admit these foolish problems.

Vanitas reached over and grabbed the silver necklace, standing from his seat while he started to walk towards the door. "Completely," he answered in a flat tone.

Before he left the room, Ventus could see him wearing the trinket around his neck, making the spiky blonde question if he believed his story or not. He was left in his room in silence, feeling the weight of exhaustion overtake him, and he shifted his position on his bed and closed his eyes. He thought about the old lady's words again, the roars of the wolf in his dreams, and the safety of his mother and brother.

* * *

Due to his unstable health, Ventus was excused of his morning chores and stayed in bed. But it wasn't as relaxing as he would've hoped, he spent a majority of the time thinking about his cursed situation and the discussion he had with his brother. He didn't get a clear enough answer if Vanitas believed his story or not, which bothered him during his ceiling watching.

When he managed to stand up from his bed, he felt the urge to eat something and decided to head downstairs, but what was strange was that he was particularly craving for meat. The thought of bleeding, chewy, and mouthwatering meat was irresistible to even try to postpone in his mind.

He went into the kitchen and checked the fridge, seeing only leftover bacon in a tiny bag. The ravenous blonde licked his lips and ate the few pieces of bacon left, still unable to satisfy his hunger and search for more. Ventus examined every inch of the kitchen to find edible meats, but ended up with nothing but disappointment and a groaning stomach.

His mother and brother were in their rooms doing whatever, while Ventus was left isolated to himself until dinner started. He laid back on the couch and returned to his deep thought, trying his best to ignore his stomach's whining pleas.

_I can see everything..._

The afternoon sun had already set after four and the living room was dark without the help of the nearby lamps. But it felt strange to Ventus that he could still see everything clearly without the assistance of light, even into the darkest corners of the fireplace, unknown to him to the fact that his blue eyes have changed into glowing spheres of yellow.

_I can hear everything..._

Ventus could hear things when his mind is in focus, the subtle sound of his brother flipping a page in his book, his mother's soft breathing while she took a nap, and the rustling of a nearby rabbit outside their cabin. After much concentration, he was able to mute the multiple sounds and rest comfortable on the couch, closing his eyes as he decided on taking a nap for himself.

_I can smell everything..._

The spiky haired blonde could smell the many scents and fragrances throughout the house, and his abnormal sense felt inconvenient and he tried his best to cover his nose with his arm. He brought his legs and arms together into curled up position, like a stray dog rolling into a ball to keep warm.

_I feel so hungry... so hungry..._

He couldn't take this anymore, he couldn't sleep or wait patiently for dinner, and he drastically made the decision to leave a note on the table and head out for something to eat with the rest of his allowance. Ventus gathered his warm clothes and his jacket, quietly leaving the house so he wouldn't disturb his family's current status. He knew his mother would give him an earful when he comes home, but he'll accept the lecture after satisfying his famished ordeal.

He went out into the afternoon trail towards town, with cloudy skies and a cold breeze making him bundle up in his thick clothing. The trail was lonely during this walk, and it made the spiky blonde extra observant while he glanced back and forth in the dark forest surround him. The birds and crickets made loud music, muting everything else as the noise began to drill into his mind.

Suddenly the pain in his body quickly emerged without warning, making the cringing blonde fall to his knees while he clenched his stomach. His heart was pulsing in his ears, his vision blurring into darkness, and his body was scorching with intense pain that spread throughout his quivering form.

_No... no... it can't be like this..._

His eyes shot open and revealed twin burning suns with black slits for pupils, and his concerning thoughts vanished along with the hold on his humanity. His teeth clenched while deep growls escaped his throat, his muscles tensing while his body twisted and turned into a nonhuman form.

The beast sprinted into the dark forest and headed straight into town, his heavy breathing in his ears as he navigated passed the skeleton trees and the dead leaves on the ground. He eventually halted his sprint and crouched behind some bushes, gazing beyond the iron fence and into the cemetery, narrowing his ravenous yellow eyes at a lone figure making his rounds around the graves.

The grave keeper was a middle aged man with nothing much to say, being known to be as lively as the people he surrounded himself with during his job. He was busy walking around the circular trail in the cemetery, holding a dim lantern in his hand while he hummed quietly to himself.

The old man heard something rustle in the bushes outside the fence and directed his lantern towards the possible intruder, feeling his nerves get the better of him as his arms and legs began to quiver.

"Who's there?" He shouted.

Of course there was no response, which made the weak old man even more nervous then he was before. He took careful steps towards the edge of the fence, lifting his lantern to better see what hid in the bushes. His poor vision couldn't see anything and retracted back, keeping his eyes beyond the fence as he returned to his spot on the cemetery trail.

"You're not supposed to be here, so you should leave!" He warned again.

The old man jumped when he heard a twig snap behind him, turning to see something large and in the shadows stalking him. The creature's glowing yellow eyes sent shivers down his spine, the beast's growls shaking him to his core, and the size of the predator left the old man petrified.

Before he could think and react, the shadowed beast claimed him and the grave keeper could only release a horrific cry. The lantern fell and shattered on the ground, relinquishing the flame and consuming the cemetery in darkness. The beast snarled and roared, ripping clothes and flesh, and snapped bone with its powerful jaws. The creature leaped over the fence later that night, leaving only splatters of blood, torn limbs, and other remains in the cemetery grounds.

The old man's cries echoed in his hears, images of claws slashing flash, and the terrified eyes that stayed open after the kill. The dark clouds revealed a bright moon shining into the skeleton forest, and the predator's gaping mouth dripped blood onto the orange and yellow leaves on the ground.

Ventus woke from his nightmare with a gasp, his blue eyes staring up at his bedroom ceiling while he held a frightened expression. Sweat rolled down his forehead, his body ached from whatever happened yesterday, and his stomach growled with an unsatisfied hunger for more meat.

_Th- That dream again..._

After much effort to crawl out of bed, the exhausted blonde slowly went downstairs to begin his morning with breakfast. Vanitas seemed to already be finished with his meal and continued to read his book on the couch, while their mother washed plates in the kitchen.

"Sleeping late after taking a stroll last night?" Vanitas commented, getting the attention of both his brother and mother.

Their mother turned and gave the spiky blonde an angry look, speaking in her strict motherly tone as she started this morning with a lecture. "Ventus, could you explain why you left the house yesterday without telling me?"

The tired blonde released a heavy sigh and sat quietly at the table, rubbing his eyes as he tried to give a good response. "I just felt hungry for something different and went into town."

His charcoal haired brother closed his book and directed his cold gaze at him. "And you immediately went to sleep when you came home later that night too," he spoke calmly.

"Yeah... I was tired after making my trip back," Ventus lied, unable to remember exactly how he made it back home or even the place where he ate.

His mother presented him with breakfast of sausage, eggs, and bacon, still keeping a rather stern persona while she returned to the kitchen. "Well, it was stupid of you to leave the house in the dark while still recovering from your injuries," she scolded.

Ventus displayed his carefree smile and scratched the back of his head. "Sorry, I was really hungry and I didn't want to bother you guys."

His raven haired sibling rose from his spot on the couch and made his way upstairs, while the ravenous blonde consumed his meats in a flash. For some reason, he didn't want to take the chance eating his eggs after what happened with the spinach, thinking maybe his stomach is only in the mood for meat lately.

"Well, get ready for work," Vanitas announced. "We're getting more groceries when you're done."

The energetic blonde finished his meal and rose from his seat, feeling the energy return to his body as he quickly grabbed his jacket and waited for his brother by the door. Meanwhile, his mother noticed that only his scrambled eggs remained on his plate, her expression shifting into a displeasing pout.

"Ventus, you didn't even eat your eggs!" She spoke.

"Sorry, I was still full after eating last night," he answered cheerfully, following his brother out the door before his mother could lecture him more. "We'll be back soon!"

* * *

The brothers made their way down the trail towards town, the morning fog clouding their vision while the autumn cold revealed their hot breaths as he walked quietly.

"Was eating in town all you did last night?" Vanitas questioned suddenly.

Ventus gave him a raised eyebrow while showing a clueless expression. "Yeah, I left the house, ate somewhere, and returned home," he answered in a half hearted tone.

"You weren't howling at the moon or anything," his brother teased.

The spiky blonde didn't find his older brother's comment particularly funny and shifted his look into one of aggression. "Not funny, Vanitas," he retorted.

"Wasn't trying to be," the raven haired teen added.

The two eventually came across a crowd of people near the entrance to the cemetery, while some policemen kept them back while the others examined something inside. The townsfolk spoke of a murder, while the brothers stopped to view the scene from the upper part of the trail.

Ventus was curious at first until his eyes found the mangled corpse of a person, his expression darkening into a petrified look of horror. The man's body was torn, his limbs twisted and chewed, and the rest of his corpse covered in blood. The sight gave him a realization, filling in the gapes of his memories between he left home and returned last night.

_No... did I... kill this man..._

He covered his mouth and stepped back, which didn't go unnoticed by his raven haired brother. Ventus couldn't stand to watch anymore and panicked, running back up the trail while ignoring the calls from his older brother.

_I killed him... I killed someone..._

The spiky haired blonde exhausted himself and collapsed near a tree, panting heavily as sweat dripped from his chin. He slammed his hand against his face and covered his left eye, while his lips quivered as he tried to keep it together.

Ventus couldn't remember anything, only images and sounds that felt like faded dreams, and he could feel the abnormal pain growing larger in his chest. He can tell that this change to his body was permanent and it was happening rapidly, the sounds of the forest were clearly in his ears, his muscles tensed and grew, and his untamed hunger clenched at his stomach.

"Hey, look at me," his brother's voice called.

The troubled blonde turned to see his older brother by his side, who carried a pained and serious expression as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "What's your problem?" He asked.

Ventus didn't like to show any weakness around his superior sibling, but he couldn't help but crumble before him while the guilt consumed his heart.

"I killed that person... in the cemetery," he admitted.

Vanitas felt unmoved by his answer, still carrying his calm yet pained expression as he said nothing. The charcoal haired brother released a heavy sigh and stood up, looking around as he tried to force his younger sibling on his feet.

"Come on," he ordered, brushing the stray leaves off his brother's jacket. "Head home and tell mother that you're not feeling well, I'll get the groceries myself."

Ventus felt empty and his expression held a permanent sorrowful look, keeping his hollowed blue eyes on the ground as the image of the bloodied corpse kept occupying his thoughts.

"But... I just-"

"Stop," Vanitas interrupted, receiving a surprised look from the spiky blonde. "Just go home and don't say anything to mom."

Before he could protest, Vanitas already turned and made his way down the trail, leaving Ventus alone in the fog covered forest. The spiky haired blonde leaned against a tree and slid down to a collapse, clenching his hair with both hands as he tried to stable himself with the weight of murder on his shoulders.

_Why is this happening to me..._

He brought his hand to his stomach and sighed, still feeling the emptiness in his gut groaning for meat. The troubled blonde glanced at his other hand and felt something take over his thoughts, his mouth slightly gaped as his canine teeth sharpened, and his blue eyes shifted into bright suns with black slits. Like a starving wolf in a bear trap, he bit down on his forearm and punctured a vein, blood spilling from his wound as he finally realized what he just did.

Ventus gasped and released his arm, staring at his bleeding forearm with a horrific expression as he tried to comprehend what just happened. His animalistic hunger took over him and he almost started to eat his own limb, like a ravenous lone wolf that hasn't eaten in weeks.

"Dame it," he shouted, cringing from the pain he inflicted on himself. "I can't go home like this."

He stood with some support from the tree, hearing footsteps coming his way as he directed his angered eyes on the stranger. The uniform and badge confirmed that the man was a police officer, who seemed to be on business while having a look of suspicion on his face.

"Excuse me, young man," he stated in a deep tone. "May I ask why you're just standing here in the forest trail?"

Ventus shifted his gaze away from the officer in an attempt to hide his abnormal changes. "I- I'm just heading home now," he answered in a muttered tone.

The police officer didn't look convinced and stepped forward. "Are you okay, boy?" He questioned, noticing the blonde's misdirection.

The troubled blonde sensed that the man was getting closer, while a wrathful instinct started to emerge from the dark place inside him. His teeth clenched while a growl escaped his throat, disliking the fact that the officer was closing in on him.

"Please, don't get any closer," he warned.

The officer took note of the boy's tone and narrowed his eyes. "Boy, I'm going to ask that you look at me," he ordered.

The officer placed a hand on his shoulder, snapping whatever reasonable feeling Ventus had in his mind as his eyes widened with rage. "I said, leave me alone!" He roared, quickly turning around and punching the man's chest.

His hand pierced through the officer's chest like a knife, and came out of his back with blood covering his fingers and palm. The police officer choked and his limbs felt petrified, standing for only an instant before collapsing on the forest ground. Ventus stared at the man's body with a look of frightened realization, shifting his gaze on his blood covered hand.

_I did it again..._

The sight of a fresh meaty corpse sent shivers down his spine, the feeling of exhilaration like finding a juicy steak with an empty stomach. He grabbed at his throat and looked away, trying his best to wipe the thought of eating a man from his mind.

_No... no, I won't eat another person again..._

Ventus ran and made his way home, halting multiple times as his body twisted and shifted from the inside, making him fall to his knees and crawl until he gained the strength to walk again.

_I have to... make it back home..._

Throwing subtlety out of his mind, he pushed through the front door and collapsed on the ground, hearing his mother gasp his name and come to his aid. She helped him to the couch, while Ventus tried to stay conscious and hear his mother's worried questions.

"Sweetie, what happened?"

His mother glanced down at his blood covered hand and gasped, covering her mouth in shock. "Ventus, are you hurt," she asked, beginning to cry.

The blonde haired boy looked at his mother and took in the sight of her tears, feeling even more guilt on his heart as he was being treated with such love after committing such unforgivable acts. Tears began to form in his eyes and cascade down his cheeks, sniffling as he finally broke down into turmoil.

"I made a mistake," he spoke sheepishly.

Suddenly, Vanitas entered the cabin with a serious panic, slamming the door as he ran to the couch. "We have a problem," he spoke.

Their mother was in a state of confusion and worry. "Wh- What happened?" She questioned.

"The town knows, Ven," he said, directing his attention onto his brother. "We have to get you out of here before they come knocking at our door!"

'Boys, what did you do?" Their mother gasped.

The pain in his chest surged through him and Ventus let out an agonizing cry, clenching the spot over his heart as the pain consumed him. His mother and brother came to his side, asking him what's wrong and how they can help, until he can no longer hear them. His blue eyes widened and shifted into their animalistic form, his vision clouded in darkness as he lost the will to stay conscious.

_I'm a monster..._

He could hear his loved ones try to calm him down, to tell him to stop, that he didn't have to do this. The growls of a hungry wolf came like the ones in his dreams, and he could hear the shrieks of the dear being caught in the hunter's claws. But the more the cries echoed in his mind, the more he discovered that it wasn't a dear that was crying out to him, but his mother.

He could open his eyes again, seeing darkness at first because of how dim the lights were, and then seeing something red covering the furniture, the floor, and everywhere else. Ventus realized that he was sitting in the kitchen, leaning against a wall in the dark, and heard nothing inside his cabin home. But his concerns went straight to something that wasn't there before, slowly reaching up to his head to find something attached to his ears, only to realize that it was his ears. He felt something furry move behind him and he glanced back, seeing a wolf tail protruding from a hole in his shredded pants.

But then he remembered something, quickly dismissing his abnormal form as he jumped to his feet. "Mom... Vanitas!" He called, hearing no response.

Ventus entered the living room and stopped, glancing down at two familiar bodies that laid motionless on the ground. His mother was on her side, her eyes closed; her throat slashed, and carried a peaceful expression, like she died quickly without a scratch on her. But Ventus couldn't accept what he saw and hurried to her side, tears streaming down his face as he shook her in an attempt to wake her up. The trinket he gave her was on the ground to her, and he took it back without question, keeping it as memory for his beloved mother.

"M- Mom..." he whispered, praying to whoever that she would respond. "P- Please wake up."

He heard something, but not from his mother, turning his gaze as he met the half lit eyes of his older brother. Vanitas was on the ground too, with multiple gashes and blood marks, his shoulder punctured and bleeding fast, while his face kept a calm expression like he was ready to go to sleep.

"Vanitas!" The blonde gasped, going to his injured brother's side as he tried to figure out a way to save him.

"Ventus..." the raven haired teen muttered.

The wolf boy continued to cry and covered his face, digging his nails into his skull as he tried to think of something. "Va- Vanitas... I- I didn't want to-"

"Go.."

Ventus stopped his sobbing and looked down at Vanitas, meeting genuine eyes of compassion in his older brother for the first time. The dying teen coughed and used whatever energy he had left to lift his arms, pulling the silver necklace off his neck and placing the bloodied trinket in his younger sibling's hand.

"Go..." he repeated in a low breath. "Before they come for you..."

Even after all of this, after discovering that he was cursed, that he might turn into werewolf, and after being the cause of their death, Vanitas still wanted to protect his baby brother. He was never the emotion type, to show signs of affection or caring, but Ventus knew that his older brother loved him like any sibling. Even after everything that happened, his older brother's last words were ones of calm and direction, telling him to escape and live.

The raven haired teen closed his eyes and his hand went limp, falling from his brother's palm and onto the ground.

With his heightened hearing, he could sense some townsfolk making their way up the trail towards his cabin home, ranting and raging over the murder of their grave keeper and police office. Without thinking, he placed the silver necklace in his pocket and stood, halting only for a moment as he gazed upon the bodies of his loved ones. The tears never seemed to end, his cheeks flushed red, and his breaths stuttered with each inhale.

Ventus covered his face in sorrow. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry," he sobbed.

The townsfolk were getting closer and the wolf boy made a run for it, shattering the nearest window as he escaped through the back. He sprinted into the fog covered forest, running with such inhuman speed that he managed to flee the wrathful mob, taking sanctuary in a small cave created from a few boulders of rock.

He was pressed against a corner with his knees up against his chest, instinctively wrapping his wolf tail around his ankles as he dove his mind deeper into despair and darkness. His blue eyes that once held such brightness were now lifeless and dulled, his expression muted of anything positive as he stared at nothing.

_I killed them…_

Ventus held his mother's trinket in his hand, rubbing the corners and surface with his thumb as he remembered happier times when she was smiling, laughing, and giving him lectures. But the most important memory he had was when he was a child playing outside, and when he noticed his mother hanging clothes to dry, smiling back at him while the summer sun glistened off her form.

_Brother…_

He pulled out the silver necklace and gazed upon its frightening features, ignoring the uncomfortable feeling in his gut from staring at the bane of wolfs. He entrusted this pendant to his older brother, hoping it would protect him, but only fed the false hope that crumbled around Ventus as soon as the beast started to take over. Vanitas was a good older brother, not the best, or the most emotional, but he was more than Ventus deserved after being cursed to hunt for flesh for all eternity.

_I want them back… _

His eyes widened and he rose from his corner, slamming his hands against his head as he stripped away at his mind. He cried, sobbed, screamed, and roared as he stumbled in the cave, praying to whomever that they bring his family back, end his suffering, and make things the way they were before.

_I want them back…_

Ventus lost control and squirmed on the cold ground, covering his face in his hands as he started to remember every painful memory peace, love, and everything else he couldn't feel again, the images of his mother smiling, his brother smirking, and all three of them together in the living room as a happy family.

_I want them back…_

His narrowed eyes met the silver pendant on the floor next to him, hating how useless it was, how it couldn't save his family, and how the carved wolf looked at him. In a fit of rage, he grabbed the necklace by the silver itself, feeling the burn in his pain as he tried to ignore it, and squeezed it in his clenched hand. It burned his hand like poison, like he wasn't supposed to touch it, but the pain prevented him from thinking of anything else more troublesome.

_Give them back to me…_

Ventus slammed the pendant on his forehead, triggering something that made him stop in his tracks. Suddenly, a flash of light came over his eyes and cleared him of his pain, curing him of his despair and leaving him petrified, but also consuming all his energy and certain important aspects in his mind.

He fell to his knees, dropping the pendant on the ground, and stared down with empty eyes and a blank expression, as his memories were being suppressed and buried deep into subconscious, leaving him with nothing but a blank page in his mind.

_I… can't remember why… I'm sad… _

The wolf boy collapsed on the ground and lost consciousness, sleeping soundly for the first time without the dreams of wolves, blood, and killing. Instead, he dreamt about two strangers living in wooden cabin in the forest, looking happy and carefree as he observed like a guest.

* * *

Ventus could only remember his name, beginning his new life as an outcast with wolf ears and a tail. He traveled across the lands and hid wherever he could, stealing and scavenging for meat to feed his voracious hunger. He even managed to somewhat control his ability to turn into a wolf, hunting for dear and rabbits in the nearest forest whenever he couldn't find anything in the town he was staying at.

He knew he wasn't human, but didn't know much about him at all. He only wanted to survive, to find a quiet place where he could live without concerning over the opinions of others who would no doubt reject him.

But during one particular night, he stumbled upon a couple walking down a lonely street a night. He wore his usual cloak and hood to hide his canine features, and smelled the sweet aroma of a high class meal in the bag the man carried. The wolf boy licked his lips and ignored the dangers of stealing in public, stalking the couple until they entered an alleyway.

Ventus moved quickly kept his sight on the bag, snatching it in no time before the man noticed and made his way passed him, only to be suddenly tripped by someone much faster than he was. The blonde haired boy fell to the cold wet ground and pressed himself against a corner, keeping his head down to avoid eye contact from the angry faces of the two adults.

"I- I'm sorry," he spoke weakly.

He was careless enough to let his hood fall back and reveal his pointy ears, looking up at the couple with troubled eyes. But their expressions quickly changed when they noticed his abnormalities, staring at him with astonished looks rather than horrified gazes like other people.

"P- Please, I'm hungry," he begged, as his blue eyes looked away in fear. "I just want some meat…"

"What are you, boy?" the silver haired man questioned, frightening him with his deep tone.

Ventus gave him a glance and noticed the serious intent in his burning eyes, speaking sheepishly with careful words. "I don't know."

The couple gave each other a look of puzzlement, which in turn bewildered the frightened blonde on how they were able to take in the sight of a boy with pointy ears and a tail. During the past year since he first woke up in a forest, he's encountered multiple people who were startled by his inhuman appearance, referring him as a werewolf, and either ran away or tried to harm him. But these two were different, like they've seen these kind of things before, and it intrigued him slowly.

The blue haired woman bent over and gave him a friendly smile, astonishing the boy on how beautiful she was up close. But he noticed how her eyes shined brightly in the darkness, and how her pupils were like black slits like a predator. Ventus was a little afraid of her, like she herself was a wolf in sheep's clothing like himself, only more dangerous.

"Are you alone?" she asked softly.

The silver haired man gave his significant other a raised eyebrow, like even he didn't know what she was planning.

"Y- Yes," Ventus stuttered, wondering his eyes elsewhere.

"You're an outcast," she deduced, smirking mischievously as she gave her partner a glance. "Like us."

The wolf boy looked up with a look of surprise, noticing the couple's abnormalities for the first time. The man was tall and broad looking, with silver hair, burning ember eyes, and an aura that carried the scent of blood that stained his hands for centuries. The blue haired woman carried predator-like eyes, sharp fangs, and an even darker aura that was born from darkness itself. Their eyes glowed in the dark as they stared down at him, their figures shadowed by the darkness as they welcomed the boy into their deviant arms.

"You don't have to be alone anymore," the woman offered.

The silver haired man gave her another look and placed his hand on her shoulder. "What are you doing?" he questioned.

"Xemnas, this boy is like us, we can't just let him live alone with lesser humans," she answered simply, presenting her superior outlook on humanity.

Ventus couldn't remember if he had family like himself, or maybe he was alone even before then, but he couldn't help of yearn for the feeling of being with others who cared about him. Like a desperate moth to a comforting flame, he stood from his spot in the corner and took a step forward towards the monstrous couple. He still kept to himself, keeping his arms close to his chest under his cloak while he waited for something to happen.

His blue eyes widened when he felt the woman's arms circle around him, embracing him in a hug while she coursed her soft hand through his messy blonde hair. "Besides, I always wanted to have a child," she snickered.

Ventus felt tears swell up in his eyes and accept the hug, feeling the warmth of affection for the first time. Meanwhile, the blue haired woman gave her partner a smile, while he looked away with an ambiguous frown.

* * *

They accepted him like an adopted son, teaching the wolf boy of their nocturnal ways and giving him all the attention he deserved. He never felt happier, smiling more and more as he experienced the life of being with a family for the first time.

They lived in an isolated mansion covered in fences, with cloudy skies and roaring thunders that scared off any wondering eyes that thought of entering. Ventus sat quietly at the large stairway in the center of the mansion, holding an important piece of his life before in the shape of a necklace. He woke up in his amnesia state with this trinket in his pocket, unable to figure out what significance it carried as he tried to survive on the streets. But now he was living a good life with Aqua and Xemnas, his best friends, his parents, and the only people that would ever accept him in this cruel world.

"What are you doing alone?" Aqua voice asked.

Ventus turned to see his blue haired mother standing before him, which again amazed him on how she was able to move about without him sensing her presence. He's been thinking of this decision for awhile, and he wanted to thank her for bringing him into their dark fold.

The wolf boy stood and presented his necklace. "I… uh… want you to have this," he spoke weakly.

Aqua accepted his gift and put it over her neck, earning him a pat on the head while she marveled at the trinket's design. "Ah, thank you, sweetie, I love it," she admired.

"I wanted to thank you and Xemnas for taking me in," he explained.

The blue haired vampire smirked, basking in the feeling of togetherness as she gave the wolf boy a hug.

"Together… always…"

* * *

_Thanks for reading, hope you'll review and tell me what you think! Hope you had a great Halloween and enjoy the rest of these two awesome moths of holidays! :D _

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, or the Gothic Novels portrayed in these stories, original characters and stories belong to their original owners..._**


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